My dragons losing her color?

AReptile

New Member
I don't understand what's happening here with my biggest beardie Jericho. She was a rusty red/orange color when I bought her. Not too long after i got her her lower back shedded and she doesnt have her color really anymore. I thought nothing of it but the last few days her face is shedding and underneath her old skin the new skin is brownish.... Is this some sort of medical condition?
 

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I don't know if they change colors after shedding, mine doesn't. But, she kinda looks painted on. idk.
 
Paint sounds a bit extreme... but people are strange enough to do somthing like that! Maybe it was dye from her former substrate or something? Weird....
 
probably calci-sand or something was stuck to her.
Her old skin is obviously covered in something, her new skin appearing after the old crud sheds off appears perfectly normal. Not to worry- other than you bought the lizard thinking it was a different color.
 
Did the seller mention she would stay that color? Was the color what "sold" her to you?
 
probably calci-sand or something was stuck to her.
Her old skin is obviously covered in something, her new skin appearing after the old crud sheds off appears perfectly normal. Not to worry- other than you bought the lizard thinking it was a different color.

Well when I handle/pet her nothing comes off her at all. She has lived on calci sand most of her life, she lives on it now actually. I bought her because I saw her and she was tapping on the glass begging for me to take her home with me. I went back to that store and asked what was wrong with her that she was still there for so long. The guy told me nothing and I decided to give her a better life. Everyone who sees her tell me she has a nice color, and I wanted to continue her bloodline because of her color. If that her skin is a false color that upsets me because she and the male I just bought would have produced some nice little babies lol. Does anyone think if I bring the shedded skin I have to the vet they could analyze it or something n determine if the skin is truely that color?
 
Sorry, I have no advise about the color...but calcisand has caused impactions in some reptiles so I don't use it.
 
How long have you had her? It does look like someone has painted her in something but that would be a bit extreme just to sell her.. I dunno its a strange one! I don't know if the vets could find out anything from her shed skin but i'd give it a shot.

Oh and calcisand is not safe to use as it can cause impaction if eating, if you wanna use sand use children's play sand much safer.
 
Is there a sand sold at the pet store that is safe these days lol. All I see whenever I go is calci sand. It's almost time to change her sand soon anyway I'll have to find normal sand. Normal sand doesn't run a risk of impaction???

Edit: I've had her for 10 months. She's probably 4 by now.
 
Well when I handle/pet her nothing comes off her at all.

I don't mean that, I mean dye from the calci-sand, like if she was kept on red sand it stained her red. Nothing would come off.

I've produced many thousands of bearded dragons since 1994.

The color and appearance of her skin after she sheds is normal and her true color.
The other is from something staining her skin.
Probably she spilled her water bowl at some point and caused the discoloration of her skin, or maybe after bathing she burrowed into the sand or something rather than intentional deception on the previous owner's part. I don't have experience with calci-sand, I do have lots with dragons and can tell you the appearance of her skin that has not shed very obviously has something on her- she looks obviously dirty and I'm just guessing based on the photos of what could have caused the discoloration. And I have seen colored sand stain other lizards. It could also be something like clay soil staining her skin. Stuff that stains does not always wash off. But when she sheds it will reveal her color and her pattern will be much cleaner and clearer (You can see that already on her nose).

The light color showing after she sheds is normal appearing for a bearded dragon. The color you thought she was looks like she is dirty or stained to me. It is not normal appearing skin - even for colorful dragons.

I'm not guessing- I am 100% sure. I don't say that very often when giving advice online...
 
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Is there a sand sold at the pet store that is safe these days lol. All I see whenever I go is calci sand. It's almost time to change her sand soon anyway I'll have to find normal sand. Normal sand doesn't run a risk of impaction???

Every substrate has it's risks.

Calci-sand encourages ingestion of the substrate which isn't a great idea for a couple of reasons- firstly because your lizard poops in the substrate and so this can lead to build up of parasites in the dragon. Secondly calcium neutralizes stomach acid (that's why tums helps with upset tummies) so if your lizard eats a lot of calci-sand, it can end up causing impaction.

On the other hand, if your lizard eats a lot of play sand, that could definitely cause problems as well. But adult dragons like yours usually are able to pass reasonable amounts of sand through the digestive system and poop it out without problem.

Either substrate (calci sand or playsand), if your lizard isn't eating mouthfuls of the stuff you are probably safe and if they are, you probably are not. Because the calcium tends to encourage the lizard to eat the substrate, perhaps the calci-sand is less safe.

If you do opt for calci-sand you may want to choose something not colored like white to prevent this kind of discoloration of the lizard that you have experienced.
 
Well I'm on my phone right now I tried to post a picture where she doesn't look so bright but I doubt It went thru. The dragon laurie sent me a few weeks ago had much brighter color than her tho. I'm just gonna post pics of all of my beardies when I get home lol. Only this one is on sand of any kind.
 

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